Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pedestrian warning system and method for an eco-friendly vehicle, and, more particularly, the present invention relates to a pedestrian warning system and method for an eco-friendly vehicle wherein, when an electric or hybrid vehicle is driven by a motor, the pedestrian warning system and method can allow an in-vehicle speaker to generate an alert sound or virtual engine sound to inform a pedestrian of movement or behavior of the electric or hybrid vehicle wherein the pedestrian can recognize the presence of the electric or hybrid vehicle.
Description of Related Art
An electric vehicle (EV) driven using only electrical energy produced by an electric motor, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), and a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) are characterized in that noise generated by an internal combustion engine may not occur, such that there is a high risk of a pedestrian collision.
To avoid pedestrian collision, a pedestrian collision avoidance apparatus configured to generate virtual engine noise by mounting a speaker to an electric vehicle has recently been developed, and the pedestrian collision avoidance apparatus is referred to as a Virtual Engine Sound System (VESS). A VESS mounted to each of hybrid vehicles sold in domestic markets is designed to operate at a low speed of 20 km/h or less.
Recently, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Working Party on the Construction of Vehicles (UNECE/WP29) is conducting intensive research into mandatory VESS in all electric vehicles to establish detailed operation regulations of VESSes. The mandatory VESS regulations established by UNECE/WP29 are scheduled to be applied only to new-model vehicles by 2019, and will also be extended to all electric vehicles and all hybrid vehicles by 2021.
In the meantime, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is conducting intensive research into mandatory rules in which an electric vehicle driven at 30 km/h or less is obliged to generate a special warning sound or engine sound, and the mandatory rules are under discussion for introduction in 2018.
As described above, many countries are conducting intensive research into strict regulations for protecting pedestrians located in the vicinity of quiet vehicles including hybrid and electric vehicles, such that development of a Virtual Engine Sound System (VESS) associated with the strict regulations is needed. Furthermore, hybrid vehicles, fuel-cell electric vehicles, and electric vehicles have been developed and rapidly come into widespread use according to eco-friendly/fuel-efficiency priority policies. When eco-friendly vehicles are in an engine-OFF state, it is necessary for pedestrians located adjacent to the eco-friendly vehicles to recognize the presence of the eco-friendly vehicles.
Nowadays, a general magnet speaker mounted to the front of a bumper of the eco-friendly vehicle has been used for VESS implementation. In the present case, sound generated from the magnet speaker is directed only in a specific direction such that pedestrian safety is difficult to guarantee. To address the above-mentioned issues, many developers and companies are conducting intensive research into a pedestrian protection method for disposing one or more vibration elements in an engine compartment of the vehicle and allowing sound to be evenly dispersed in all directions to guarantee pedestrian safety in all directions.
However, to implement the above-mentioned VESS, at least 6 speakers are required within each vehicle, resulting in increased production costs of the vehicle.
Therefore, new methods and apparatuses for allowing pedestrians to easily recognize the presence of quiet eco-friendly vehicles need to be developed at reasonable costs.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.